Saint-Ambroise: origin of the name and station history
Served by: metro line 9.
Why this name?
The station takes its name from its position in the Saint-Ambroise district, near rue Saint-Ambroise and the church of Saint-Ambroise, which honour Ambrose of Milan, bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. It lies under boulevard Voltaire, at the mouth of rue Saint-Ambroise, between Oberkampf and Voltaire, and opened with the fifth extension of line 9. The jardin Truillot and rue de la Folie-Méricourt are close to its entrances.
Anecdote
In the late 1990s the RATP chose it to test prototypes of the main platform lighting model. From April 1997 it became the first of a series of 268 stations to be modernised, and its CMP-style ceramic decor was entirely recreated during the 1998 renovation: it is one of the few stations where this decor is no longer original.
Around Saint-Ambroise
- Rue Oberkampf, 500 m away — An iconic street of Parisian nightlife, lined with lively bars and cafés.
- Marché Popincourt, 650 m away — A friendly neighbourhood market, valued by locals for its fresh produce.
- Église Saint-Ambroise, 60 m away — A 19th-century neo-Gothic church dedicated to Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan and Doctor of the Church.